UNIT 3 THE CONSCIOUS SELF AREA OF STUDY 1: MIND, BRAIN & BODY

DESCRIBING CONSCIOUSNESS The awareness of objects and events in the external world and of our own existence and mental experiences at any given moment SELECTIVE You choose to attend to certain things and ignore others CONTINUOUS There is never a time when consciousness is ‘empty’ CHANGING New information is constantly coming into awareness KK 1 – PAGE 93-94

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.1 (pg.95) KK 1 – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY (PAGE 95)

DESCRIBING CONSCIOUSNESS STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS OUR STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS OUR AWARENESS OF OUR INTERNAL STATE & EXTERNAL SURROUNDINGS AT ANY GIVEN TIME THERE ARE NO DISTINCT BOUNDARIES TO INDICATE WHERE ONE STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS ENDS AND ANOTHER BEGINS PSYCHOLOGISTS OFTEN DESCRIBE CONSCIOUSNESS AS RANGING ALONG A CONTINUUM (OR SCALE) KK 1 – PAGE 95-98

DESCRIBING CONSCIOUSNESS STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS TWO BROAD CATEGORIES OF CONSCIOUSNESS NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS LEVEL OF AWARENESS THE CONTENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS THE USE OF CONTROLLED OR AUTOMATIC PROCESSES TO PERFORM TASKS PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCES COGNITIVE ABILITIES EMOTIONAL AWARENESS SELF-CONTROL THE EXPERIENCE OF TIME KK 1 – PAGE 95-98

HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.2 (pg.98) LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.3 (pg.98) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.2 (PAGE 98) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.3 (PAGE 98)

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS REFERS TO THE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS ASSOCIATED WITH BEING AWAKE AND AWARE OF OUR THOUGHTS, MEMORIES, FEELINGS AND THE SENSATIONS WE FEEL FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD LEVELS OF AWARENESS - Role of Attention (Selected & Divided Attention) CONTENT LIMITATIONS CONTROLLED & AUTOMATIC PROCESSES KK 1 – PAGE 99-108

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS LEVELS OF AWARENESS ATTENTION = Concentration of a mental activity that involves focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring other stimuli SELECTIVE vs. DIVIDED KK 1 – PAGE 99-101

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS LEVELS OF AWARENESS SELECTIVE ATTENTION Choosing and attending to a specific stimulus at the exclusion of others WHAT MAKES US PAY ATTENTION? Information that is personally important to us (eg. the cocktail party phenomenon) Information that is novel to us, new or unusual (eg. television advertisers) KK 1 – PAGE 100

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS LEVELS OF AWARENESS DIVIDED ATTENTION The ability to distribute our attention and undertake two or more activities simultaneously Our ability to ‘multi-task’ depends on how much conscious effort is required for the various tasks in which we are engaged NEISSER & BECKLEN (1975) – BOX 2.2 KK 1 – PAGE 100-101

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS CONTENT LIMITATIONS Comparing NWC to an ASC, the content (type of information) held in our consciousness is: More restricted or limited Organised Logical Compare the content held in our consciousness during NWC as opposed to the content held in our consciousness when we are dreaming (an ASC) KK 1 – PAGE 102

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS CONTROLLED & AUTOMATIC PROCESSES CONTROLLED PROCESS (SERIAL) Involves conscious, alert awareness and mental effort in which the individual actively focuses their attention on achieving a particular goal AUTOMATIC PROCESS (PARALLEL) Requires little conscious awareness and mental effort, minimal attention and does not interfere with the performance of other activities KK 1 – PAGE 102-104

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS CONTROLLED & AUTOMATIC PROCESSES THE STROOP EFFECT KK 1 – PAGE 104-105

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY STROOP’S EXPERIMENTS - BOX 2.3 (pg.104-105) LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.10 (pg.107-108) KK 1 – CLASSROOM ACTIVITY – STROOP’S EXPERIMENTS – BOX 2.3 (PAGE 104-105) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.10 (PAGE 107-108)

HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.5 (pg.106) LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.6 (pg.106) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.5 (PAGE 106) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.6 (PAGE 106) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.7 (PAGE 106)

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS USED TO DESCRIBE ANY STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS THAT IS DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS, IN TERMS OF LEVEL OF AWARENESS & EXPERIENCE, AND THE QUALITY OR INTENSITY OF SENSATIONS, PERCEPTIONS, THOUGHTS, FEELINGS & MEMORIES DISTORTIONS OF PERCEPTION & COGNITION TIME ORIENTATION CHANGES IN EMOTIONAL AWARENESS CHANGES IN SELF-CONTROL KK 1 – PAGE 108-114

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY PERCEPTION OF TIME DURING AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUNESS LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.18 (pg.119) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.18 (PAGE 119)

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS DISTORTIONS OF PERCEPTION & COGNITION PERCEPTION = the way that we experience the external environment Sensory experiences are more vivid (eg.colours, tastes, smells, sounds) People may hallucinate (experiencing things that are not happening) They may see visions or hear non-existent voices Normal pain threshold may increase COGNITION = thinking, problem-solving, memory Thought processes are often disorganised Thinking is illogical and lacking in sequence Difficulties experienced in problem-solving People have trouble remembering events that occurred KK 1 – PAGE 109-110

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS TIME ORIENTATION Estimation of time is frequently distorted Time may appear to pass slower or faster depending on the situation SLOW FAST KK 1 – PAGE 110

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CHANGES IN EMOTIONAL AWARENESS Alcohol Induced ASC People become more emotional and express these emotions more readily May respond inappropriately to situations (eg. laugh at bad news) KK 1 – PAGE 110

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CHANGES IN SELF-CONTROL Alcohol Induced ASC Individuals have difficulty in maintaining coordination and controlling movements May behave aggressively or affectionately when they would normally not behave this way Hypnotic State People become more susceptible to suggestion Can gain greater self-control (eg. to quit smoking) KK 1 – PAGE 110

HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.11 (pg.111) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.11 (PAGE 111)

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS DAYDREAMING AN ASC in which we shift our attention from external stimuli to internal thoughts, feelings and imagined scenarios Daydreaming is more likely to occur when: - we are stationary than when we are moving about - we are alone - we are waiting to fall asleep - doing routine or boring activities KK 1 – PAGE 111-112

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS DAYDREAMING PURPOSES OF DAYDREAMING Allow us to do in our fantasies what we can’t do in reality (this reduces the frustration and tension we experience from unfulfilled wishes and needs) (FREUD) Enables us to mentally try out a range of courses of action that could be applied to various situations (SINGER, 1975) May enable us to solve problems or to stay mentally alert in situations in which there is insufficient external stimulation (SCHACHTER, 1976) KK 1 – PAGE 111-112

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS ALCOHOL-INDUCED STATE Alcohol is a psychoactive drug (chemicals that change conscious awareness, perception or moods) STIMULANT VS DEPRESSANT The specific effects of alcohol depend upon: The concentration of the alcohol consumed The amount of alcohol consumed The conditions under which it is consumed The rate of consumption The amount of food in the person’s stomach The person’s body weight, age, gender, body chemistry, physical wellbeing, emotional state and mood KK 1 – PAGE 112-114

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS ALCOHOL-INDUCED STATE THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL INCLUDE: A shortened attention span Impaired perceptions Impaired thinking Impaired memory Slower reaction times Reduced self-awareness Impaired emotional awareness and control Impaired perception of time Less self-control Difficulties with voluntary muscle control and fine movements Deterioration in performance of complex tasks KK 1 – PAGE 112-114

HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.12 (pg.114) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.12 (PAGE 114) KK 1 – LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.13 (PAGE 114)